It’s tobacco harvest time in Lancaster County

The tobacco leaves are turning yellow-gold quickly and thousands of acres of the cash crop are being harvested throughout Lancaster County.

Tobacco harvest is very labor intensive, as despite modern technology, many farmers chose to use time-tested hand tools in cutting and spearing the stalks and hoisting 40 to 50 pound laths of tobacco leaves takes muscle and grit and hours and hours of work.

It’s all-hands-on-deck for farmers from East Earl who began their tobacco harvest in early August. At their request, we have not named the family or farm location.

See more photos on page A14.

Art Petrosemolo is a freelance feature writer and photographer who recently retired to this area from New Jersey. He welcomes reader feedback at artpetrosemolo@comcast.net.